Norwegian mass murderer now declared to be sane

Josiane Kremer

OSLO: Anders Behring Breivik was deemed to be sane in a second psychiatric evaluation of the confessed perpetrator of the July 22 killings in Norway that left 77 dead.

The 33-year-old was found not to be psychotic and therefore accountable for his actions, according to a statement by the Oslo District Court. The evaluation, which will need to be validated by the Board of Forensic Medicine, is not binding for the court. The maximum prison sentence in Norway is 21 years.

Breivik ''doesn't have a serious mental disorder that would significantly impair his ability to make a realistic evaluation of the outside world,'' according to the 310-page report by the forensic psychiatrists Terje Toerrisen and Agnar Aspaas.

The assessment contradicts an evaluation from last year, which concluded that he was delusional and suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, meaning he would face compulsory treatment, potentially for life, rather than prison. The decision sparked criticism from victims and caused the Oslo District Court in January to order a new assessment. The trial starts on April 16.

Breivik, from Oslo, has admitted to the shootings at the Utoeya Island youth camp that killed 69, including some as young as 14, and to detonating a car bomb by the Prime Minister's office that took eight lives. He was indicted last month on two terrorism charges as well as murder. A terrorism charge means there was a premeditated effort to cause fear in the public or a serious disruption to a vital function in society.

In a letter to the media Breivik called the previous evaluation that found him insane the ''ultimate humiliation,'' the newspaper VG reported last week.

He has refused to recognise the legitimacy of the court and demanded to be released. In February he said his victims were ''traitors'' who needed to be wiped out to protect Norway and that he deserved a medal for the attacks.